


sometimes it's hard to see what's in front of you

by Marudny_Robot



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love Confessions, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marudny_Robot/pseuds/Marudny_Robot
Summary: Brows up slightly, left end of the mouth higher, an audible exhale – Tam was looking at her in pity, but her eyes didn’t lose that spark. She reminded Cass of Barbara whenever she did something amusing, but tiring – like finally answering correctly to one of her questions and not even realizing it at first.“You remind me of Tim, sometimes, you know?”
Relationships: Cassandra Cain/Tam Fox
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	sometimes it's hard to see what's in front of you

**Author's Note:**

> silverrosie on tumblr asked for prompt: “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”, but didn't specify what pairing, so I went with my favourite crackship :D Hope you don't mind?  
> Apologize for being late and any grammar mistakes. Posting now, because I thought we all need some tooth-rotting fluff now.  
> Have fun reading!

“Are you flirting with me?”

Tam asked Cassandra suddenly, shocking her.

Cass blinked, not knowing what to say. She knew that she _knew_ what Tamara has just asked her, what the key-word was. However, it felt like her brain decided to betray her in that moment.

Tam was looking at her, clearly waiting for an answer. Not mad, not demanding the answer, but still Cass was sure she wouldn’t let her just go. The intensity in her gaze was the same one she saw multiple times, whenever she had a chance to see Tam working. And not only then.

She remembers working on cases with Tim and later inevitable meeting with Tam, because her brother needed to talk with her about one thing or another. The same intense gaze, that promised she would get things done, that they wouldn’t have to worry about that or the other thing, that she would take care of it for them… - it was a constant thing buried in Cassandra’s every memory of Tam.

She liked it. That assurance. That confidence and that honesty in her eyes, in her pose, in her whole body. Not everyone could claim the same full honesty towards themselves, and Cass always could see those bits people tended to ignore, because it made them feel better.

That ignorance never reassured Cass, especially when it was conscious. You never knew when someone decided to stop with that facade and if it would hurt you or not.

_But_ _Tamara_ _Fox_ _was honest._ Not perfect, not without hurts and fears, but she held herself honesty in every action she partook.

And Cassandra liked that about her.

“Cass?”

Tam was looking worriedly.

Why? Cass wondered momentarily, alerted, immidiately wanting to help her in every way she could - until she got brought back to reality and _Tam’s question._

“I... _I-”_

She swallowed. Tried again. Took deeper breath and exhaled. Tried again. And again with the same result.

_Why the words were so hard right now!_

She raised her hands, trying different method, but still couldn’t move nor answer.

_And why was that?!_

Clenching her fists, mouth turning into thin line-

_Why couldn’t she reply?!_

“Hey! _Hey... Cass?_ It’s ok, it was sudden of me, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to-”

_But she wanted to!_

“-Hey, Cass?”

Tam held her hands open, just below Cassandra’s fists. She didn’t move them, but she was waiting for Cass. Inviting in a sense.

Slowly, _oh so slowly_ , Casandra relaxed hers, putting them into Tam’s gentle hold.

Tamara’s hands looked delicate. Slender fingers that ended with manicured nails. Those weren’t short, ending a little above the fingers, but weren’t too long to hinder her job. Clearly professionally done – maybe done in the same saloon Bruce took her to once? – and coated in purple-shade nail polish. Cass recognized the brand, as it was the same Stephanie wished from her for her birthday. Those weren’t cheap, but she could attest to them holding even during the worst patrol.

“Could you look at me?”

Just now she realized, she was spending time observing their clasped hands. Why wasn’t she aware of what was happening around her?

She was embarrassed at the situation and annoyed at herself, but she looked up and met Tam’s gaze.

And Tam’s smile, for which she could breath easier.

Tam huffed, something she recognized as her politely laughing, but she was still smiling at the end and her eyes shone.

Brows up slightly, left end of the mouth higher, an audible exhale – Tam was looking at her in pity, but her eyes didn’t lose that spark. She reminded Cass of Barbara whenever she did something amusing, but tiring – like  finally  answering correctly to one of her questions and not even realizing it  at first .

“You remind me of Tim, sometimes, you know?” She didn’t know. “Sometimes he looks like he can’t find his own mask, even if it is on his face.”

She knew what Tam was talking about, and knew _exactly_ the face Tim makes then. How she reminded Tam of it – she didn’t know. What _she did know_ was that she would love them to stop talking about her brother.

“Tim’s not here,” Cass states, trying to change the subject.

“He’s not,” Tam agrees, smiling as her eyes were shining in the sun.

“We are alone.” She shortened a distance between them, tightening the hold on Cass’s hands. “Only you and me.”

Those brown, almost golden, eyes hold intent, which Cass couldn’t decipher. It wasn’t in her nature to hide from the gaze, but she felt like she ought to. It was, as if Tam wanted to know her every thought, her every secret, her every emotion, and Cass could nothing to hide from it. Or maybe she didn’t want to? Was that how everyone felt when she did the same to them? For how invasive it was, why would Cass wanted to be subjected to it?

Why would she want to give Tam everything she could and even more?

“Maybe I would say it differently?”

_Say what differently?_

“I love you, Cassandra. Do you love me?”

_She did._

_Did she?_

_Did she love her_ ?

Cass couldn’t stop looking at Tam, whenever she was in her presence. Couldn’t stop looking a t every aspect of her, every detail that made Tamara Fox the way she was. She couldn’t stop admiring her work, her character,  _her honesty_ .  Tam’s voice, her last words that she said at every meeting – even if those weren’t directed to Cass – rung inside her head pleasantly. Words sounded better if Tam said those and Cass loved to repeat after that voice in her head. She was also getting better, Tam said – no,  _praised_ her once. She remembers that moment, of course.  While waiting in Tim’s office for her brother – for some thing or other – she  has  spend some time besides Tam, reading aloud whatever contracts she brought for him.

Tam hasn’t been laughing at her inability. Only subtly correcting once in a while, whenever she was to far off. It was accidental when she laughed at one of Cass’s mistakes, and the phrase sounded genuinely funny for both of them.

Tam’s laughter has been at first subdued, but when Cass motioned for her to go on, it was loud. Tam was laughing with her whole body, fully filling the happiness.

Cass  was observing her as she tried to calm down,  leaning on Tim’s desk.  Tam looked happy, relaxed, and behind her, Cass could see sun starting to shine through Gotham’s tick dark clouds.

Cass barely realized that she was smiling too, when she started reading – wrongly – again. Anything to see Tam smile again.

Like now.

Tam’s smile was so _bright_.

“So, where you flirting with me for those past months?” she asked Cass, cheekily.

_Was Cass flirting_ -?

_But she just-!_

She was only...

Cass sunk to the floor, hiding her face in her hands and groaned loudly. Tam laughed loudly at her reaction, and Cass – while still embarrassed – couldn’t stop her own smile.

“You finally noticed?”

She nodded, still hiding.

It was okey, thought, because Tam crouched besides her and she could feel her arm around her shoulders. There was some more laughter and talks about going for ice cream and kiss on her head that told everything that was there to be said.

Cass finally understood  that earlier comparison to her brother. Still didn’t mean she wanted to talk about Tim _right now_.


End file.
